Green Venture has been offering bus education programs for several years through the Totally Transit program. This program introduces people to the HSR, and provides them with the information needed to take the bus. This is the second year that Green Venture has expanded this program to cater to older adults.

Taking the bus is one of the most convenient and affordable ways to get around our city. The HSR carries millions of passengers per year and operates comprehensive bus routes throughout Hamilton. These workshops will discuss HSR bus services and focus on the neighbourhood around the workshop location.

Through a series of free workshops offered at ten locations across Hamilton, older adults will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to confidently navigate public transit. Topics such as local bus routes, bus fare and passes, seniors’ discounts, and trip planning will be covered.

After a 45 minute presentation on taking the bus, an optional 15 minute presentation will be offered on how to use Google maps to plan your trip, for those who use the internet. All workshop participants will have the opportunity to fill out a form requesting bus trip planning to two destinations. Green Venture will mail participants step by step instructions explaining how to take the bus to their destinations.

Participants will have the opportunity to sign up for a guided bus trip, where they will travel in small groups of 2-4 on the bus with a trained bus travel guide. Free bus tickets will be provided, and the travel guide will orient them on how to use the bus while they ride to a fun location for an outing, before travelling back to their starting point on the bus together.

We’re sure you’re counting down until the end of the school year, and trying to get through the last of your lessons. Did you know that Green Venture offers a myriad of school programs for all age groups at the EcoHouse? EcoHouse is southern Ontario’s only retrofitted environmental demonstration home and provides students with a unique opportunity to see environmentally friendly technology and behaviours. We’ve developed specialized tours, activities, and games for each grade on topics including wise water use, energy conservation, and waste reduction. And of course these hands-on tours are all based on the curriculum! We provide tours for elementary and secondary schools, and can customize them according to your time, group size, and any special interests or needs.

This 2-hour program for Grade 1 students is very popular, as it focuses on energy use around the house. Students find it easy to relate what they learn at EcoHouse to their own homes. The chance to learn about how we make, use, and recycle paper always captures their attention. While most students already have a good grasp of the Recycling part of the three R’s, they are introduced to the Reuse and Reduce part when we run some newspapers through a blender and students get to make their own paper!

Soil: It’s More Than Just Dirt!

Grade 3 students can either get an introduction to soil, plants, and food topics with this program, or astound themselves with their own knowledge if it is used as a wrap-up to the topic. This vibrant program involves a lot of action, with games like Moving Black-Eyed Susan and The Great Food Sort-Out. No program about soil, food, and compost would be complete without a chance to peek into the worm bins and meet some of our no-legged friends.

WATT a Waste!

One of the first things students notice when standing outside of the EcoHouse are the solar panels on the front lawn. This large visual display of renewable energy can be applied to the Science and Technology curriculums of Grades 4, 5, and 6 students. While the tour of the house will be different for each grade based on the curriculum topics, each grade will do the Bean Energy activity. This activity illustrates to students in a very hands-on way both the limitations and potentials of renewable and non-renewable energy sources.

We are also excited to be able to offer unique partnerships with other organizations. The Museum of Steam and Technology was built in 1859 as Hamilton’s first municipal waterworks, and is only about 10 minutes from EcoHouse. The museum now demonstrates simple machines, force, energy and design, the hydrological cycle, and animates life in a 19th century workplace. It fits in very well with EcoHouse programming, from the topics of energy to the original time periods of the sites! This joint program includes a chartered HSR bus to provide transportation between the two sites. While on the bus, students also have the chance to learn about sustainable transportation and bus ridership.

EcoHouse also partners with Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) for Totally Transit. This program aims to equip young bus riders with the tools they need to ride transit effectively and safely. In this program, students make the connections between our transportation choices, energy use, air quality, climate change and healthy communities. Best of all the students put their knowledge to the test on a privately chartered city bus. Green Venture and the HSR chartered bus come right to the school doors to deliver Totally Transit on-site or the bus can be your transportation to and from an EcoHouse tour. Ask for more information, limited spots are available.

Many of our programs are also available as outreach programs to your school. If you’re interested in what we offer, but can’t get your kids to us, we will come to you! Check out our website for more information, or call us at 905-540-8787 x154. We can’t wait to hear from you.

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Often called the AQHI, the Air Quality Health Index is a rating system that helps us better understand the quality of the air we are breathing each day and how it affects our health. The index ranks each day’s air quality and assigns it a certain colour or number. Every citizen can access these rating online (website: airhealth.ca) or by calling 905-543-1136.

For example, on days when air quality is poor (generally on some of the hottest summer days) the rating will be a 10 (or red) and officials suggest that anyone at risk (such as people with heart or breathing problems) should avoid being active outside while the general population should keep outside activity to a minimum.

Air Quality Health Index

As we write this, Hamilton’s AQHI is a 3 (or blue) meaning it is a great day for everyone to enjoy outdoor activity.

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As a proud partner of Open Streets Hamilton, Green Venture is encouraging residents (yes you!) to get involved and help make Open Streets Hamilton a continued success.

This event is only going to be possible with help from you, so get involved today!

A volunteer planning meeting is scheduled for this Thursday April 4th. Contact events@openstreetshamilton.ca to become part of this dynamic team of volunteers (even if you are unable to make the meeting this Thursday, there are many ways that you can help).

Thanks,

Pete Wobschall
Executive Director
Green Venture

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Open Streets Wants You…

…to join our 2013 team!

Sunday June 23, 2013 – 10am to 5pm

We hope you’re coming to Open Streets Hamilton: James Street North! Apply now and tell us how you’d like to help us open the street!

WHO – Open Streets Hamilton Community Organization is a volunteer-run, registered non-profit organization. We are a community-based partnership dedicated to promoting active, healthy and inclusive lifestyles by temporarily transforming streets into a shared space for everyone to experience. Our motto is “Make the Streets Your Playground”. Sunday, June 23rd, 2013, will mark our 7th car-free Sunday in Hamilton since June 2010!

We will be hosting our next event on James Street North, in Hamilton, Ontario (final route details TBA). Our volunteer planning team is open to all volunteers and meets at YWCA Hamilton (75 MacNab Street). Please note YWCA Hamilton is an accessible building, has outdoor bike racks, and is only a short distance from both the MacNab Street bus terminal and Hamilton GO Station. (Paid parking is available at City Hall.)Our next event is on Sunday, June 23rd, 2013 (10am* to 5pm – *road closure starts at 9am, set up is between 9am and 10am).

Planning team meetings take place starting April 4th on the first and third Thursday of every month from 5:45pm to 7:45pm. All volunteers will receive minutes from planning team meetings and are welcome (and encouraged) to attend and assist with the planning process!

Thank you for your time and consideration! We hope you will be able to join us on June 23rd! If you have more questions please contact Sunil at sunil@openstreetshamilton.ca or call 905-481-0809.Looking forward to seeing you on the street!The OSH Event Planning Team

I Ride The HSR, connecting older adults with public transit.

Green Venture has been offering bus education programs for several years through the Totally Transit program. This program introducespeople to the HSR, and provides them with the information needed to take the bus. Green

Venture is expanding this program to cater to older adults. Through a series of free workshops offered at four locations in Hamilton, older adults will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to confidently navigate public transit. Topics such as local bus routes, bus fare and passes, seniors’ discounts, and trip planning will be covered.

After a 45 minute presentation on taking the bus, an optional 15 minute presentation will be offered on how to use Google maps to plan your

trip, for those who use the internet. All workshop participants will have the opportunity to
fill out a form requesting bus trip planning to two destinations. Green Venture will mail participants step by step instructions explaining how to take the bus to their destinations.

Participants will have the opportunity to sign up for a guided bus trip, where they will travel in small groups of 2-4 on the bus with a trained bus travel guide. Free bus tickets will be provided, and the travel guide will orient them on how to use the bus while they ride to a fun location for
an outing, before travelling back to their starting point on the bus together.

Taking the bus is one of the most convenient and affordable ways to get around our city. The HSR carries millions of passengers each year and operates comprehensive bus routes throughout Hamilton. These workshops will discuss HSR bus services and focus on the neighbourhood around the workshop location.

Registration is not required to attend a workshop.
To sign up for a guided bus trip, please call 905-540-8787 ext 154.

Grades 5, 6, 7 –Totally Transit Program

Get on board Green Venture’s bus education program and prepare your students to ride city transit safely and effectively. Totally Transit equips young bus riders with the tools they need to ride transit and make the connections between our transportation choices, energy use, air quality, climate change and healthy communities. Best of all the students put their knowledge to the test on a privately chartered Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) city bus.

Green Venture and the HSR chartered bus come right to the school doors to deliver Totally Transit on-site or the bus can be your transportation to and from an EcoHouse tour.

To book a school tour and free bus trip, please call 905-540-8787 ext 154 or email education@greenventure.ca

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HAMILTON, ON – January, 10, 2013 – The City of Hamilton has initiated an air monitoring pilot project at Sam Manson Park located in east Hamilton. This one-year air monitoring project will take place from January 1, 2013 to January 1, 2014. Data collected from this air monitoring system will be used to support education and policy development in the City of Hamilton.

What is being measured?
This Airpointer measures the five air pollutants that have been most strongly linked to negative health effects:

Also, Public Health Services is hosting an information session about the air monitoring project. Representatives from Public Health Services, Rotek Environmental Inc., and the Hamilton Air Monitoring Network will be available to provide information and answer questions about the air monitoring project.